Philips Reverses Decision to Block 3rd-party Bulbs

Philips made headlines last week when it released a firmware update that blocks third-party bulbs from being used in its smart bulb system called Philips Hue. The update ends support for bulbs using the ZigBee wireless protocol; examples are low-cost bulbs like the GE Link LED and the Cree Connected LED. The light bulb company cited interoperability issues with untested products.

To counter this seeming rejection of other smart bulb brands, Philips has launched the “Friends of Hue” program to get third parties bulbs certified for the Hue system. In spite of this move, there must have been considerable backlash with the firmware update because Philips announced last December 14, 2015 that it is reversing its decision. According to the company, they are “working on the reversal of the upgrade and will shortly confirm when this will be available.” The upgrade will get third-party bulbs working on the Philips Hue system again.